Hoeing-machine.



No. 873,543. PATENTED DEG. 1.0, 1907. W; A. HARRIS.

HOEING MACHINE.

, APPLICATION FILED MAR.21,1907.

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W. A. HARRIS.

HOEING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB..21,1907.

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lNVE/VTOH WILLI M A-HARRI5 ATTORNEYS No. 873,543. PATENTED DEO.10,'1907.

w: A. HARRIS.

HOBING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.21,1907.

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ITNESSES i a, ILLIAM ARRI S 6%d m w A H BY f a M W.

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WILLIAM A. HARRIS, OF GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

HOEING-MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

Application filed March 21. 1907. Serial No. 363.613-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Greenville, in the county of Greenville and State ofSouth Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHoeing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in hoeing machines specially designedfor chopping cotton, and has for an object to provide a novelconstruction of machine in which the several parts are capable ofoperation and adjustment in such manner as to effectually hoe thecotton; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions andcombinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure l is a top plan view of a machine embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on about line 22 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a crosssection on about line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa detail perspective view illustrating the carrier frame, the hoeingframe and portions of the main frame, the cultivating frame and partsimmediately associated therewith. Fig. 5 is a detail section on aboutline 55 of Fig. 1 illustrating the countershaft and its connection withthe main frame and the hoe- Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View of thecarrier. frame. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view, parts being brokenaway showing the hoeing shaft and the hoes set adjustably thereon, andFig. 8 is a detail section of the hub portion of the hoe set shown inFig. 7.

In carrying out my invention I provide a main frame A to which theshafts B may be secured and in this main frame I journal a drive shaft Bwhich may be driven in any suitable manner, preferably by means of awheel B secured thereto, the opposite wheel 13 being loose on the shaftto facilitate turning the machine. On this drive shaft B, I pivot at itsrear end what for convenience of. reference I term a carrier frame C,which frame is slidable along the drive shaft so it and the partscarried thereby may be adjusted to any desired position, and it alsorocks on the drive shaft so that one end of the carrier frame and theparts carried thereby may be raised and lowered in the manner more fullydescribed hereinafter. This carrier frame C supports at its rear-end thecultivat ing plows D and the lister shoes E, the beams F carrying thesaid parts being pivoted at their front ends in connection with thecarrier frame and provided with a lever F whose detent F engages with arack F on the carrier frame whereby to secure the hoes in any desiredadjustment up or down, independent of the rocking of the carrier frameupon the drive shaft. The carrier frame may be shifted along the driveshaft to any desired position in order to properly aline the itsopposite edge has bearings I for the sup-' porting shaft of the choppinghoes. In pivoting the frame I at I it ispreferred to mount it inbearings at I in the carrier frame, said bearings I being arranged nearthe rear end of the hoe or chopper frame and the said chopper frame inrear of the bearings I having bearings at J for the rear end of acountershaft J, the said shaft journaling at its front end in a bearingJ in the hoeing frame, a boss J on the hoeing frame journaling in thecarrier frame and forming a pivot for the rear end of the chopper framein connection with the carrier frame, as'will be understood from thedrawings. By the described construction it will be noticed the chopperframe may be raised and lowered at its swinging edgewhich carries thehoe supporting shaft and the rocking of the chopper frame isaccomplished by means of the lever K projecting upwardly from thechopper frame and having a detent pawl K engaging with a rack K mountedon the carrier frame so the chopper frame may be rocked to adjust itshoes up and down and secure them at any desired level.

At its front end the chopper frame I is pivotally and slidably supportedon a transverse track-way L, one end of which is pivoted at L inconnection with the main frame and its other end is movable up and downby means of a bell-crank lever L pivoted at L to the main frame andhaving a forwardly projecting arm connected with the movable end of thetrack-way L and an upwardly projecting handle arm having a detent pawl Lengaging with the rack L on the main frame. By this means the track-waymay be raised and lowered at one end to any desired point in order toadjust the front end of the chopper frame at the desired height from theground to properly level the hoes, and. this is especially useful inadapting the machine to the draft animals hitched to the machine. Bymounting the front end of the chopper frame to slide along the track-wayI provide for the lateral movement of the carrier frame and the choppingdevices carried thereby in bringing the chopping devices in alinementwith the row as before referred. to. In mounting the front end of thechopper frame in the track-way I prefer to pivot said frame at L in ablock U, which is slidable in a suitable groove L in the track-way L, asshown in the drawings. C

By the described construction it will be noticed I have provided forshifting the carrier frame along the drive shaft, for rocking thechopper frame relatively to the carrier frame, for raising and loweringthe chopper frame to conform to the team and also means for adjustingthe cultivatirigdevices which are mounted on the carrier frameindependently of the said frame, together with means for securing thedifferent parts in any de sired adjustment, and for operating thechopping hoes.

In leveling the hoeing frame it will be noticed that as thesaid framerocks on the aXle and as the main frame also rocks on the aXle inhitching a large or a small animal to it, it is only necessary insecuring the desired levcling of the hoeing frame to raise and lower itsfront end and this may be readily accomplished by the devices foradjusting the trackway. as before described.

On the countershaft J, I mount the pinion which may be adjusted alongthe countershaft in order to set it into mesh with any desired circle Mof teeth on the master gear MI in order to vary the speed at which thehoe is operated. This master gear M is keyed to the drive shaft and isjournaled to the carrier frame so it moves therewith along the driveshaft and is maintained in mesh with the pinion in the differentadjustments of the carrier frame along the drive shaft. On thecountershaft J, I also mount a pulleyj connected by a belt N with apulley N yieldingly mounted on the hoeing shaft. This pulley N isconnected by a spring Y with the hoeing shaft and a pin N on the hoeingshaft engages a shoulder 1 on the pulley N so the hoeing shaft may yieldslightly when it strikes a stone or other obstruction, in order toprevent unnecessary damage and wear and tear on the machine.

A belt tightener has a pulley O bearing against the belt N and springpressed normally against the said belt to maintain its tension so thebelt will properly drive the hoeing shaft. This pulley O is carried onthe end of an arm 0 of a shaft O journaled in bearings on the hoeingframe and said shaft O is provided with a handle arm 0 by which the belttightener may be released against the action of the spring O whichoperates upon its arm 0, as before described. By this construction theoperation of the hoe may be stopped whenever desired in order to bringthe hoes to cut at the desired points in the row.

The supporting shaft P for the hoes is journaled at the swinging edge ofthe hoeing frame and is provided with two sets of hoes. One set of hoesis provided with the arms Q supporting the blades and rakes and theother set with arms R supporting its blades and rakes. The arms Qhavethe hub Q mounted on the shaft P and secured in any suitable manner, itmay be by a clamping screw as shown, so the arm may be adjusted readilyon the shaft in order to set its hoeing devices nearer to or fartherfrom the hoes of the other set in varying the cut as may be desired.

The arms Q are provided at their outer ends with the blades Q and inadvance thereof with the rakes Q the latter being held on bars Q} whichare adjustable in a longitudinal direction across their arms Q, crossingthe same in a diagonal direction and being set in a recess in the arms Qand secured by a set screw Q passing through a slot Q in the bar Q sothe rakes may be set in and out relatively to their respective blades.By this construction the rakes may be set in and out and when adjustedoutwardly beyond the edges of the hoe blades they will loosen up thesoil before the hoes strike, and when on a level with the hoe the rakeswill operate to remove stones or other obstructions. These rakes it willbe noticed operate in advance of their respective hoes and serve asguards therefor in the operation of the invention.

The other hoe section has its arms R provided with blades and rakessimilar to those described in connection with the arms QeX- cept one ofthe hoe blades 7* on the arm R is adjustable by means of slots R thereinto receive the screws connecting it to its arm It. so said blade may beadjusted in the direction of travel of the machine in order that it maybe set rearwardly whenever desired in order to increase the cuttingcapacity of the hoes.

It is well understood by those familiar with the cultivation of cottonthat the stand of cotton left in the hoed row is usually only about oneinch and "by adjusting the hoe blade 7 rearwardly so it will increasethe cutting capacity of the hoe to the extent of the adjustment of saidblade 1", I practically double the cutting capacity of the machine andam able to secure six different widths of cut with the three speeds,Thus, for instance, when running at the highest speed, the hoes whenadjusted close together and the blade 1" set in its foremost position,will cut a space of ten inches between cotton and leave the latterstanding about one inch. If now the blade 1 be adjusted rearwardly, saytwo inches, it will increase the cut space to twelve inches instead often and in operation the excess on one of the hoes will cut out everyother bunch, which would otherwise be left standing, so the slightaddition to the lengths of the hoes resulting from this adjustment ofthe blade 1 enables me to practically double the capacity of themachine. In other words, it permits me to double the space betweenstands by cutting out every other stand left by the operation of theother parts of the hoeing devices.

The hoe sections are preferably adjustable relatively in the directionof travel of the machine and this is preferably effected by makingthehub of the arms R movable longitudinally along the shaft P to whichit is keyed and to groove the said hub R at R to facilitate itsconnection with the pitman S connecting it with a crank arm S on anupright shaft S ournaled in hearings on the hoeing frame and having ahandle lever S whose detent pawl S engages with a rack S mounted on thehoeing frame. By this construc tion the hoeing section having the arms Bmay be adjusted relatively to the section having the arms Q in thedirection of motion of the machine so as to increase the length of thecut of the hoeing devices of one section operating in rear of the hoeingdevice of the other section and partially overlapping the same, as shownin the drawing. It will be noticed that one of the hoeing sections maybe adjusted rotarily on the shaft, as before described in order to setits hoes nearer to or further from the hoes of the succeeding sectionand this is advantageous in securing a regulation of the cut as when theblades of the succeeding hoeing section operate closely behind those ofthe preceding section the cut is greater than if the rear hoes be setrotarily further from the advance hoes, as the advance movement of themachine will decrease the cut relatively to the distance the hoes of oneset are set in rear of those of the other set.

The provision in a hoeing machine of a revolving hoe having two sets ofhoeing devices, one set being adjustable relatively to the other in thedirection of the axis of the revolving hoe is an important feature of myinvention, both when considered alone and when considered in connectionwith the mechanism for operating the hoe at varying speeds relatively tothe travel of the machine, as thereby I am able to conveniently vary thecut of the machine by shifting'the hoeing sections of the hoeing devicesto produce a wider or narrower cut and I am also able to secure anydesired cut at any desired speed of the hoe without removing the hoeingblades and substituting therefor blades of other lengths. Thus when themachine is being operated at a high or low speed or an intermediatespeed by the adjustment of the pinion j into mesh with any desired rowof teeth on the master wheel M the set of hoeing devices movable alongthe supporting shaft P may be adjusted toward or from the other set insuch manner as to secure any desired cut to leave any desired stand ofcotton in the drill row without necessitating any change of the hoeingblades. By adjusting the blade having the slots R as before described tothe rear, I may increase the cutting capacity of the hoe to such anextent as to double such capacity in the use of the invention.

In the operation of the invention by one skilled in the hoeing of cottonit will be found that various adjustments of the different parts willfacilitate the hoeing of the cotton in such manner as to produce almostif not quite, as good results as those secured by hand by a personexperienced in hoeing cotton, and results much superior to the ordinarychopping operation as commonly practiced. In the operation of themachine the driver on the seat S with his feet on the foot- -rests S andS can conveniently manipulate the several levers for operating thedifferent parts, as before described, and will be in full view of thecotton row and of the hoeing devices so the operation of the same may begoverned .by the various devices and the movements of the differentparts, as before described.

The end of the axle or drive shaft supporting the loose wheel ispreferably extended outwardly beyond the main frame so the said wheelmay be adjusted outwardly thereon as indicated in dotted lines Fig. 1 toin crease the gage of the machine, the lateral adjustment of the hoeingdevices permitting the centering or alining thereof in all gages.

I claim 1. A machine substantially as herein described, comprising amain frame, a drive shaft, a carrier frame slidable along and rockableon the drive shaft, a master gear keyed to the drive shaft and movablewith, the car rier frame along said shaft, a hoeing frame journaled atone edge to the carrier frame and movable up and down at its other edgeand provided at saidedge with hoeing devices and with a shaft supportingthe same, a countershaft having a pinion meshing with the master gear, abelt connecting the said countershaft with the shaft of the hoeingdevices, a trackway in which the front end of, the hoeing frame ismovable longitudinally, said trackway extending transversely of the mainframe and pivoted at one end in connection therewith, means foradjusting the other end of the trackway up and down relative to the mainframe, means for shifting the carrier frame along the drive shaft, andintermediate devices between the chopping frame and the carrier framefor raising and lowering the movable end of the hoeing frame,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the drive shaft, a carrier frame thereon, a hoeingframe pivoted at one edge and movable up and down at its other edgewhereby it may be set to- Ward and from the ground hoeing, devicescarried at the movable edge of the hoeing frame, and a verticallyadjustable support for the front edge of the hoeing frame whereby it maybe set up and down for leveling said frame in the use of the implement,and means for raising and lowering the hoeing devices independent of theleveling adjustment at the front edge of the .hoeing frame,substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine substantially as described, a hoeing frame pivoted atone edge on an axis in the direction of motion of the machine wherebyits other edge may be raised and lowered with respect to the groundsugface, and intermediate devices between said hoeing frame and mainframe whereby the hoeing devices may be leveled with regard to theground surface, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination substantially as herein described of the main frame,a drive shaft, a carrier frame sliding along and rocking on the driveshaft, hoeing devices supported by the carrier frame, means intermediatethe drive shaft and hoeing devices for operating the latter, means formoving the carrier frame along the drive shaft, and means for rockingsaid frame on the drive shaft, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the supporting shaft, two sets of hoes havingtheir carriers mounted on said shaft and one set being movable along theshaft independent of the other set whereby to vary the Width of the cut,and means for sliding the movable set to and securing it in any desiredposition.

6. A hoeing machine comprising a supporting shaft, a pair of hoecarriers mounted on said shaft, one of said carriers being movable alongthe shaft independent of the other carrier to vary the width of the cutand means whereby such carrier may be adjusted along its shaft while theimplement is in motion.

7. In a machine substantially as described, the combination of a mainframe, a drive shaft, a carrier frame slidable' along and rocking on thedrive shaft, cultivating devices supported at the rear end of thecarrier frame, a hoeing frame having its rear end pivotally mounted atone edge in the carrier frame, a bar extending transversely of the mainframe in advance of the hoeing frame and pivoted at one end. to the mainframe and having between its ends a track-way for the front end of thehoeing frame, means for adjusting the movable end of said bar up anddown relative to the main frame, hoeing devices on the hoeing frame, andmeans for operating the same, substantiallyas set forth.

8. A hoeing machine comprising a main frame, a hoe provided with twosets of hoeing devices, one set being adjustable relative to the otherin the direction of the aXis of the hoe, and means for revolving the hoeat different speeds relative to the advance movement of the machinewhereby the adjustment of the hoeing devices relative to each other maybe utilized in securing any desired width of cut at the different speedsof the machine, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination in a hoeing machine, of a hoeing frame, a shafttherein for supportv ing the hoes, a plurality of sets of hoes, aplurality of arms or carriers for the hoes, the carrier for one set ofhoes bein adjustable in a rotary direction on the shaft relative to thecarrier for the other set whereby the distances between the hoes of onecarrier and those of the other carrier may be varied and one of the hoecarriers being movable longitudinally along the shaft, and means on thehoeing frame for moving such carrier along the shaft, substantially asset forth.

10. A hoeing machine having a revolving hoe provided with tWo sets ofhoeing devices, one set being adjustable relatively to the other set inthe direction of the aXis of the hoe and means whereby such ad ustmentmay be efiected while the machine is in motion, substantially as setforth.

11. A hoeing machine having a revolving hoe provided with two sets ofhoeing devices having carriers and blades, one of the blades of one setbeing adjustable on its carrier in the direction of travel of themachine and one of the carriers being adjustable relative to the othercarrier in the direction of motion of the machine while the machine isin motion, substantially as set forth.

12. A hoeing machine having a revolving hoe comprising a carrier and ablade thereon, and a rake in advance of said blade and having asupporting device connected with the blade carrier.

13. In a hoeing device the combination with a blade and a carriertherefor, of a rake in advance of the blade and having a bar adjustablyconnected with the blade carrier.

14. In a hoeing machine a revolving hoe provided with a blade and inadvance thereof with a rake revolving with the blade.

15. The combination of a main frame, a hoeing frame, means supportingthe rear end of the hoeing frame, a bar extending transversely of themain frame and having a trackway supporting the front end of the hoeingframe, and means for adjusting said bar relative to the main framewhereby to level the hoeing frame, substantially as set forth.

16. The combination with the main frame,

a drive shaft and a carrier frame movable along and rocking on the driveshaft and having a forwardly projecting portion provided with bearingsfor a hoeing frame, a hoeing frame pivoted at its rear end at one edgein the forwardly projecting portion of the carrier frame, a block havinga bearing for the front end of the hoeing frame, a bar pivoted at oneend to the mainframe and having a longitudinal trackway in which thesaid block travels, a lever pivoted to the main frame and having an armconnected with said trackway bar for adjusting the same relative to themain frame, a lever for shifting the carrier frame along the driveshaft, hoeing devices carried by the hoeing frame, and means for tiltingthe hoeing frame whereby to adjust the hoeing devices to any desiredheight from the ground, substantially as set forth.

17. The combination in a machine, substantially as described, ofacarrier frame, a master wheel, a hoeing frame journaled to the carrierframe, a countershaft journaled in the hoeing frame and having anextension projecting into the carrier frame, a pinion on thecountershaft and meshing with the master wheel, a pulley on thecountershaft, a hoeing shaft journaled to the hoeing frame and providedwith hoeing devices, a pulley on the hoeing shaft, and a belt connectingthe pul- .ley on the hoeing shaft with that on the countershaft,substantially as set forth.

18. The combination of a main frame, a drive shaft, a carrier framerocking on the drive shaft, a hoeing frame pivoted to the carrier frame,a countershaft journaled to the hoeing frame, and geared with the mastergear, a hoeing shaft, pulleys on the hoeing shaft and the countershaft,a belt connecting said pulleys, and a tightener operating upon the saidbelt, substantially as set forth.

19. A hoeing machine having a hoe comprising a blade, and a rake inadvance of the blade and adjustable relatively thereto.

20. A machine comprising a main frame, a hoeing frame therein andpivoted at one edge in line with the direction of draft whereby itsother edge may be raised and lowered, hoeing devices at such edge of thehoeing frame, means for shifting the hoeing frame laterally within themain frame, means for leveling the hoeing frame in the main frame, andmeans for tilting the hoeing frame whereby to raise and lower the hoeingdevices.

21. A machine comprising a main frame, a drive shaft, a carrier framerockable on the drive shaft, cultivating devices connected with thecarrier frame, means for adjusting the cultivating devices relative tothe carrier frame whereby they may be set to any desired position up ordown independent of the rocking motion of the carrier frame, hoeingdevices supported in the carrier frame, and means for adjustingthehoeing devices relative to the carrier frame whereby they may be set todifferent positions independent of the position of the carrier frame.

22. A hoeing machine having a revolving hoe provided with two setsofhoeing devices,

one of the blades of one set being adjustable on its carrier in thedirection of travel of the machine whereby it may be set rearwardly todouble the space cut, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

23. A hoeing machine having a revolving hoe comprising a shaft, two setsof hoeing devices thereon, one in rear of the other, one of the setsbeing adjustable along the shaft relatively to the other set and one ofthe blades of the rear set being adjustable in the direction of travelof the machine, whereby it may be set rearwardly to double the spacecut, substantially as set forth.

24. A hoeing machine having a revolving hoe provided with two sets ofhoeing devices, one set operating in rear of the other set and havingone of its blades adjustable on its carrier in the direction of travelof the machine whereby it may be set rearwardly to double the Width ofspace out between cotton without change of gear, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM A. HARRIS.

